A Day at the Academy
by Letzte
Summary: The military academy has a day off, and, yeah. Now with improvements, and a brand-new ending!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ah, I have to say that I'm sorry for how long all this editing is taking! I've been really busy with schoolwork, so yeah. But at least I can say that I honestly think that this draft is better than the old one, if only a little!**

Makoto looked at the chessboard, trying to decide on her next move, the empty black and white squares dancing tauntingly at her. The sun glinted through the window, a ray landing on the board, illuminating an empty spot among the rest of her pieces that was safe from her opponent. Makoto decided she liked that spot, and moved her pawn three spaces backward to it.

"Makoto," her opponent said, "I already told you, pawns can't move backwards!" Carl Clover looked up at Makoto with his adorable, big, slightly accusing blue eyes. Makoto couldn't help herself; she let out a high-pitched squeal and hugged the small boy tightly.

"But Caaarl! If I don't move it there, you'll kill it with your horse thingy!" Makoto said, tightening her vice-like grip. Carl began to blush.

"M-Makoto...!" Carl gasped, squirming. She let go, and Carl pushed up his glasses and looked away, still embarrassed. "It's called a rook. And that doesn't change that pawns don't move like that..." When Makoto had offered to play chess with Carl, he had been excited; he loved chess, but rarely got to play against anyone else. No one in his class knew how to play chess, and he wasn't brave enough to ask an upperclassmen to play. He had thought that they would all just be too busy. Makoto had seen him playing all by himself, assured him she had nothing else to do, and then dragged him all the way to a part of the girl's dorm. Carl sighed. And then it turned out that she barely knew anything about chess at all.

Makoto pouted. "Carl, you're so mean!" she said, burying her face in her hands in a display of sadness.

"I'm sorry..." Carl's guilty eyes met Makoto's mischievous gaze, and Makoto giggled in a new, chipper tone. Carl smiled back tentatively, looking almost tired.

Suddenly, the door swung open. "Makoto, we're back!" Noel said, poking her head into the room. Makoto gave a cheer of delight, bounded out of her chair. and tackled Noel, hugging her about the waist. Noel gave a startled cry, but then smiled happily, watching Makoto's tail bob and sway back and forth.

"You're back so soon! Didja run out of energy that quick? Swimming's not that hard!" Noel and Tsubaki had decided to go to the pool that day after learning that Noel didn't know how to swim. Makoto had wanted to go, too, but was quickly discouraged by the cold that had set in early that week. Makoto loved her friends and loved going anywhere with them, but she positively couldn't stand the cold.

"No, you were right, Makoto. It turned out to be much to cold for swimming today." Tsubaki walked in, bags in her arms and hanging off her shoulders. She had spent an hour that morning just packing, making sure they would be "absolutely prepared" for the pool. As soon as she was in the room, she stopped dead in her tracks and gaped at Carl. "Makoto! You let Carl in here?" Tsubaki's voice radiated disapproval. Noel frowned, she could sense an argument coming; she hated it when her friends argued. And they had been doing it a lot lately.

"Well, yeah. Where else were we supposed to play chess?" Makoto let go of Noel and placed her hands on her hips, frowning at her other friend.

"That's so inconsiderate of you! Carl could get in a lot of trouble for being in the girl's dorm, you know!""It shouldn't be a problem if I invited him!" Makoto glanced at Noel, who was shooting her a pleading look. She glanced at Carl, who looked sad and awkward. Makoto frowned more deeply.

Tsubaki also glanced around the room. She was flushed with anger, but forced herself to regain her composure. She couldn't get mad, not over something so trivial. "I... suppose so," she said, turning, "Well, it was certainly nice of you to come and teach Makoto to play chess, Carl." She smiled at him, cordially.

"Tsubakiiii!" said Makoto, all sense of their small argument gone, and tugging at the girl's sleeve. "I already know how to play chess!"

"Oh? Do you really?" Tsubaki felt as if she should do something nice. Yes, she had been a little rude to Makoto earlier. And she had made Noel and Carl feel uncomfortable. Tsubaki gently took Makoto's hand and intertwined their fingers, wondering if this was right. Makoto didn't seem to mind.

"Yup, yup! Just ask Carl here!" Smiling excitedly, Makoto wrapped her free arm around Carl's neck and pulled him close, entangling the three students. Carl began to squirm again."I'm a real genius, right?"

"Is Makoto really that good?" Noel asked, looking surprised. Makoto released Carl, and they all looked at him expectantly.

"W-well... Makoto, uh, definitely... has potential." Carl barely managed to stutter out, not wanting to say how awful Makoto was. He pushed up his glasses and scratched his hair. Tsubaki glanced at the board and smiled, giggling inwardly. Makoto began swinging their arms. Makoto's hand was warm, and Tsubaki felt as if her hand was on fire. She had never felt a sensation like this before.

"Really?" Noel gasped. "I'm so jealous. I was never any good at chess..."

"Here, here! Lemme show you!" Makoto bounded back over to the table, loosing her hand from Tsubaki's in the process. Tsubaki felt strangely disappointed. Carl looked at his seniors uncertainly. No matter how bad he played, he didn't think he could hide how awful Makoto was... But they urged him to go on, so he sat down on his side of the table, tentatively.

Carl wished he could go on to listening to the girls talk. He didn't have many friends, and since starting at the academy he had had little time to see his sister, so he was quite lonely. He greatly appreciated their attention, so he didn't want to repay them by making Makoto feel badly about her chess skills. He squirmed in his seat.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Noel said. She opened the door. "Oh...! J-Jin!" she cried, stumbling backward a bit, blushing. She glanced back at Makoto, who had began to giggle. "Wh... I-is there something you need?" Jin sort of sneered and glared down at her, looking like he was about to say something cruel..

"Jin!" Tsubaki gasped excitedly, her face flushing slightly. Makoto bit her lips shut to keep from laughing out loud and prodded Carl, who was more than slightly confused by Makoto's reactions, in the ribs. Tsubaki quickly regained her composure. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"Yes. I was just sent to inform Carl that he's needed at the main office." Jin replied.

"Oh!" Carl gasped, with mixed relief and disappiontment. He turned to the girls and nodded. "Well, thank you for everything, but it seems I have to go..."

"Oooh, you're leaving so soon? I was just about to make my dramatic comeback!" Makoto said, grinning. They all began to put away the pieces of the chess board.

"I'm sorry... Maybe, we could play the next day off, though?"

"Carl, you should play against Tsubaki next time. Noel, too!"

"Wha? Me, too? But I'm no good at chess..."

They presently finished cleaning up, and the girls waved goodbye as Carl left with Jin. "Goodbye, Jin!" Tsubaki called after them, and Jin turned a quarter circle and waved back. Smiling contentedly, Tsubaki twirled back through the door. Makoto placed her arms on her hips, staring at their retreating figures. She frowned, but soon giggled and followed Tsubaki back into the room, shutting the door behind her.

Tsubaki had begun unpacking the bags, her pleased smile having evaporated into an uncertain, troubled look. "Tsubaki... Is something wrong? Noel asked, tentatively.

Tsubaki jumped, startled. "No! ...No. Of course not." Tsubaki pressed the hand that had previously been in Makoto's to her chest, gently tracing the electric sensation still buzzing in her fingertips. Noel frowned and looked at Makoto, also frowning, who shrugged. "Anyway, would you mind helping me put away all this stuff?"

"Oh... Of course."

**A/N: Split into two chapters because this was getting longish...**


	2. Chapter 2

Tsubaki sat on the couch and sighed. All her thoughts that day had been preoccupied, and though she had tried, she had been unable to sort them. She quickly glanced at her hand. That hand. She sighed again. Until now, she had always been so sure of all her feelings.

"Tsubaki?" Makoto bounced on the couch next to her friend.

"Oh!" Her friend gasped, startled out of her stupor. "Y-yes? What is it, Makoto?"

Makoto frowned, put a finger to her own lips, and sighed. "Tsubaki, are you sure you're all right? You've been acting weird all day..." Tsubaki blushed.

"It's nothing! Really, it's nothing." A long moment of silence passed between the two friends. Then Makoto piped up, grabbing both of Tsubaki's hands in a feint of dramatic energy. Tsubaki jumped.

"Listen, Tsubaki! I just want you to know that I'm behind you one hundred percent! I mean, you're already lucky enough to be close to him, so of course it should be you instead of me or-"

"M-Makoto, what are you talking about?"

Makoto rolled her eyes and smiled. "You and Jin! What else?"

Tsubaki screeched, loud enough that Makoto had to bounce up and check that the whole dorm hadn't been woken up. Tsubaki shoved her hands under her thighs, trying to push the electric feeling into the back of her mind.

Makoto sat back on the couch and folded her arms. "Don't try and hide it from me!"

"It's just... I..." Tsubaki stared at Makoto from out of the corner of her eye. Almost completely on impulse, she suddenly tossed her arms around Makoto, who squeaked in surprise. "I think I like you, Makoto!" Tsubaki cried, blushing wildly.

"Wha-what?" Makoto stared with wide eyes at Tsubaki, who was frowning uncertainly. Makoto felt a blush creep up her face, but her chest filled with a floaty happiness and she giggled. "Well then, me too...!" Tsubaki let out a sigh of relief, let go of Makoto, and leaned back. "But... What about Jin? Are you sure it's not him that you like?"

Tsubaki bit her lip. "Oh..." She looked away for a moment, briefly considering. "I don't know... I'm sorry, Makoto. I really shouldn't have said something like that without being sure of what my feelings really were." She stood and looked down at Makoto apologetically. "I'm so sorry! Please, disregard my previous statements."

"No, wait!" Makoto bounced up. "It's okay, Tsubaki."

"No, it's not! Please, just don't worry about i-"

Makoto suddenly grabbed Tsubaki's hand, twirling their fingers together. "But I have to worry about it! 'Cause..." Makoto smiled mischieviously. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Tsubaki blushed again. "Huh? F-friends...? Makoto, that's not what I was talking about!" Makoto burst out laughing, but their hands stayed together, a reminder of each's affections. "Makoto!" Tsubaki cried in admonishment, but a smile of relief and happiness played on her lips. As long as she had someone like Makoto, she was sure things were going to be okay.

**A/N: So I definetly like this ending better than the old one. This one's not much to my taste and could still probably be better, but the old one was just awful.**


End file.
